Gervais is so enthusiastic about the possibility, that he’s even willing to cut his fee. “A two for one offer,” he suggested. “I can knock off 20 percent. Two for one deal. I’ll just stay up there.”

As The Hollywood Reporter previously reported, Gervais had a business dinner with Douglas Vaughn, senior vp specials at NBC, and HFPA president Aida Takla-O’Reilly in Paris to discuss a potential deal, though an offer has not officially been made.

Gervais made headlines last year for his jaw-dropping performance, in which he skewered Hollywood’s elite. Following the show, HFPA president Philip Berk told THR that the host “definitely crossed the line.”

Murphy dropped out as host of the 84th Academy Awards on Wednesday, Nov. 9 on the heels of producer Brett Ratner’s dramatic exit. As THR first reported, Brian Grazer has been tapped to replace Ratner.